The William O. Douglas Wilderness is a designated wilderness in

Central Washington Central Washington is a region of the U.S. state of Washington between the western and eastern parts of the state extending from the border with the Canadian province of British Columbia in the north to the border with the U.S. state of Oregon i ...

. It includes located between the

U.S. Route 12 U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highways, United States highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) an ...

and State Route 410 and is jointly administered by the Okanogan-

Wenatchee National Forest Wenatchee National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in Washington. With an area of 1,735,394 acres (2,711.55 sq mi, or 7,022.89 km²), it extends about 137 miles along the eastern slopes of the Cascade Range of Washington, USA from ...

and the

Gifford Pinchot National Forest Gifford Pinchot National Forest is a National Forest located in southern Washington, managed by the United States Forest Service. With an area of 1.32 million acres (5300 km2), it extends 116 km along the western slopes of Cascade Ran ...

. It shares a boundary with the

Mount Rainier National Park Mount Rainier National Park is an American national park located in southeast Pierce County and northeast Lewis County in Washington state. The park was established on March 2, 1899, as the fourth national park in the United States, preservi ...

on the west;

Norse Peak Wilderness Norse Peak Wilderness is a designated wilderness area located in central Washington in the United States. It protects the portion of the Cascade Range north of Chinook Pass ( Highway 410), south of Naches Pass (Naches Trail), and east of Moun ...

lies to the north,

Goat Rocks Wilderness Goat Rocks Wilderness is a U.S. wilderness area in Washington, United States, comprising of Okanagan–Wenatchee National Forest and Gifford Pinchot National Forest on the crest of the Cascade Range south of U.S. Highway 12. Its central featu ...

to the south. Approximately 25 miles (40 km) of the

Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie ...

travel along the

Cascade Range The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...

crest within its boundaries. It contains scattered peaks, sharp ridges, steep slopes and hundreds of small lakes and potholes. Much of the wilderness is drained by tributaries of the

Naches River The Naches River is a tributary of the Yakima River in central Washington in the United States. Beginning as the Little Naches River, it is about 75 miles (121 km) long. After the confluence of the Little Naches and Bumping River the name be ...

History

The 1984 Washington Wilderness Act designated the Cougar Lake roadless area as the William O. Douglas Wilderness, named after

Supreme Court Justice The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight Associate Justice of the Supreme ...

William O. Douglas William Orville Douglas (October 16, 1898January 19, 1980) was an American jurist who served as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, who was known for his strong progressive and civil libertarian views, and is often c ...

. Douglas was raised in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninco ...

and went on to be appointed to the

U.S. Supreme Court The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal court cases, and over state court cases that involve a point o ...

by President

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

. Justice Douglas is remembered for a long and distinguished career marked by his concern for civil rights and environmental issues. This tribute honors not only the active role Justice Douglas played in Federal wilderness legislation but also his lifelong dedication and love for the Cougar Lakes region. William O. Douglas knew the area trails intimately, and spent many summers at his cabin in

Goose Prairie, Washington Goose Prairie is an unincorporated community in Yakima County, Washington, United States. Goose Prairie is northwest of Yakima. It was founded by Tom Fife in 1886 who named it after a goose that visited the meadow one evening and stayed the night ...

, a small mountain community surrounded by the present wilderness.

Topography

While significant portions of the William O. Douglas Wilderness are high elevation forest, the overall topography is varied. The tallest and most visually striking peak is

Mount Aix Mount Aix is a mountain summit centrally located in the William O. Douglas Wilderness on land administered by the Wenatchee National Forest, and is the highest point in that wilderness area. It is also 24 miles east-southeast of Mount Rainier i ...

at with a prominence of . The Cougar Lakes portion is characterized by high alpine lakes, and the Tumac Plateau is dotted with numerous lakes in a forest setting. The eastern edges of this wilderness drop to mid-elevation pine forest and bare ridges. The Meeks Table Natural Research Area, located on a basalt table mountain, is within the wilderness at its eastern boundary.

References

External links

William O. Douglas Wilderness
U.S. Forest Service
William O. Douglas Wilderness
Wilderness.net (The University of Montana) {{Authority control Cascade Range IUCN Category Ib Wilderness areas of Washington (state) Protected areas of Lewis County, Washington Protected areas of Yakima County, Washington Gifford Pinchot National Forest Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest 1984 establishments in Washington (state)

History

Topography

See also

References

External links